Pocketbook frame



Oct. 23, 1934. c. J. McCABE POCKETBOOK FRAME Filed June 10, 1931 FIGJ.

avwenfoz Mar/es J. M-Tae $513 QMOMMMJ Patented Oct. 23, 1934 UNlT'EDSTATES PATENT ii FFIUE'.

POCKETBOOK FRAME Application June 10, 1931, Serial No. 543,398

2 Claims.

This invention relates to bag frame structure.

The invention particularly relates to the frame structure for handbagsand like containers. The arrangement is such that a positive interlockis derived from certain elements retained upon the bag frame, theinterlock being a substantially resilient one and arising, not from anyparticular spring, or other distinct elastic or resilient element, but,in the particular disclosure hereof, from certain elements of the bagframe structure itself. Particular reference will be had herein to astructure commonly known as the three-part frame. However, it will beclearly apparent from the description hereinafter that the invention isalso applicable to frames having less than, or more than, three distinctelements.

The bag structure, or frame, includes, at least as one of its elements,a contour defining means for the mouth, or opening, of the bag, whichcontour defining means is constructed so that there is provided a free,upstanding wall. This wall, in certain phases of the operations ofopening and closing the bag, functions in effecting a resilientcooperation of locking elements for the bag. The wall also aids inassuring and, in fact, is so formed, that the exterior surface materialfor the bag may be disposed as a continuous, unbroken surface extendingaround the frame so as to enclose it and hide it from view.

The locking elements for the bag preferably consist of portions whichare substantially integral with the frame members of the bag. Due to thedisposition of the upstanding wall and, therefore, in spite of the rigidassociation of these parts with the bag structure, the elements willmove upon each other so that they will finally engage and retain the bagclosed against normal separating stresses. Oneof the elements, however,is, in the particular construction herein, so constituted that itprovides means for retaining assembled upon the bag structure an elementwhich, in itself, constitutes means for easily and simply separating theinterlocking portions so that the interior of the bag is made readilyaccessible at will. In the particular construction herein, theseparating element is disposed to straddle a portionof a member, so thatthe interlocking element may be disposed at a point considerably removedfrom the outer edge surface of the bag and yet the separatingelementwill form an ornamental part of the outer surface of the bagwithout limiting its effectiveness in its separating function.

Other objects of this invention will be herein- (Cl. ISO-29) after setforth, or will be apparent from the description and the drawing, inwhich is illustrated an embodiment of apparatus for carrying out theinvention.

The invention, however, is not intended to be restricted to theparticular construction and arrangement of parts, nor to the particularapplication of such construction, herein shown and described, nor to thevarious details thereof, as the same may be modified in variousparticulars, or be applied in many varied relations, without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention, a practical embodiment ofwhich has been herein illustrated and described, without attempting toshow all the various forms and modifications in which the inventionmight be practised.

For the attainment of these objects and of such other objects as mayhereinafter appear or be pointed out, I have illustrated an embodimentof my invention in the drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of my new frame;

Figure 2 is a side view in vertical elevation looking toward therightfrom the left of Figure l with the frame members open;

Figure 3 is enlarged vertical cross-section taken transversely throughthe locking means of Figure l and partly broken away; and

Figure dis a side elevational view on an enlarged scale of the lockingarrangement.

The bag frame structure 10, shown on the drawing, is shown as consistingof three distinct frame sections 12, 14 and 16. Sections 12 and 1-6 arehere shown to be substantially identical, while section 14 is somewhatdifferent in its structure. As will hereinafter appear more fully, allthe sections may, in fact, be of the same crosssectional characteristic.Sections 12 and 16, at their extreme ends, are cut away and the cutawayportions bent to form bearings 18 for reception upon pins 20, so; thatthe members may move pivotally toward and away from each other. Section14 is also cut away at its ends and per-- tions thereof formed toprovide cars 22, by means of openings in which the section is pivotallvmounted upon pins 20. Section 14 is disposed between sections 12 and 16so that the latter may be brought into face to face abutment withsection 14 when the bag is closed.

These sections are shown herein to be substantially U-shaped in form,but, as can easily be realized, for bags of different contours, it wouldbe possible to applythe invention by the use of sections of manyconceivable shapes without in any manner, affecting the scope of theinvention hereof. Sections 12 and 16 are each shown to be substantiallyof U-shaped cross-section, the groove of the U opening outwardly, adesirable condition inasmuch as the bag fabric 24 may be associated withframe sections of this character to produce a continuous, unbroken,smooth surface of exactly the same characteristics throughout. This isaccomplished by carrying the bag fabric over the outer face of the walls26 and 28 of the respective sections 12 and 16, and then folding thematerial down into the grooves 30 and 32 of the respective sectionswherein it is then retained in any well known and desired manner.However, while this is a much desired result, insofar as the inventionherein is concerned, it is also possible to effect certain elements ofthe invention by providing frame sec-' tions, the cross-section of whichis not at all U- shaped, but may be of any form which provides a single,upstanding wall upon which certain elements of the interlockingmechanism for the bag may be mounted. With this in mind, it can be seenthat the bag frame structure might be J- shaped, or even L-shaped, andyet be constituted to produce the invention appearing herein.

The cross-sectional disposition of sections 12 and 16 is such that thegrooves 30 and 32 open outwardly away from the bag. Section 14 herein isshown also to be of U-shaped cross-section, but, in this instance, thegroove 34 thereof opens inwardly. By so arranging section 14, it ispossible to provide ears 22 formed of the same material as the metal ofthe section itself. However, this section may also be of the samestructural effect as sections 12 and 16, if desired, as appears from theparticular structure herein related.

The cross bar 36 of section 14, in this instance, has securedsubstantially intermediately thereof, and immediately upon the uppersurface thereof, an integral T-shaped cam plate 38.

Plate 38 may be soldered or brazed, or in any other desired manner,secured to the cross bar and has formed in the under surface thereof apair of grooves 40 and 42, communicating with which is the cross-cut 44.The plate 38 extends beyond the bounds of the cross bar 36 so that thegrooves will be'positioned, whenthe sections 12, 14 and 16 are broughtinto abutment, immediately over the adjacent sections. On each of thewalls 46 and 48, respectively, of the sections 12 and 16, there aredisposed bearings 50 and 52. Each hearing may be formed from the samemetal as its respective section or, in a desired instance, may be madeup as a distinct element,and then soldered or brazed upon the upper edgeof the respective walls 46 and 48. -These hearings, in themselves,constitute camming members which, when brought into contact with therespective vertically disposed edge surface 54 of cam plate 38, will actagainst such cam plate to rock it about the rigid connection thereofwith cross bar 36, and against the resilient action of the metal of thecross bar, so that the bearing will be enabled to slide under the camplate and finally come to rest, seated within its respective groove 40or 42. During this camming action, a distinct movement of the metal ofplate 38 and cross bar 36 is observable, due to its flexing as thebearing passes beneath the plate; also, the wall 46 or 48, in accordancewith which one is being operated, flexes under the pressure exertedbetween the bearing and the surface 54.

After the bearing has become seated within its each other to the bag.

respective groove, it is necessary, in some manner, to provide means forlifting the plate 38 so that the bearing may be removed from the groove.For this purpose, pins 56 and 58 are carried through the respectivebearings 50 and 52, and on such pins are pivoted actuating members 60and 62. These members each consist of an arm 64, through which the pinpasses, the arm extending across the groove 30 or 32 with which it isassociated and then terminating in a downwardly extending plate 66which'may be of any desired design or contour. Arm 64 is merely of suchlength that the plate 66, when the bearing and the groove are ininterlocking engagement, will be disposed so that the upper edge thereofwill be immediately at, and slightly out of contact with, the surface 54of plate 38. The upper edge 68 of plate 66 extends, in this position,slightly above the bottom face 70 of plate 38 and is thus disposed sothat the edge may coact with surface 54 for the operations hereinafterappearing. The

arms 64 are intended to seat within the cross-cut 44', thereforprovided, so as to provide a substantially compact assembly.

As plate 66 is rocked upwardly, when the bearings and their respectivegrooves are in resilient contact, edge68 engages surface 54 and therebyexerts a positive lever action against the plate 38 and also a pullagainst the bearing with which it is associated. The bearing, thusactuated, and which, in fact, does not seat entirely within the groove,but is retained so that its round surface bears uponan edge of thegroove so that it may easily be slid past such edge, :will exert acamming action upon such edge as the plate is moved; these forces,together with-the lifting of the plate, effected by the arm 64 actingagainst the bottom surface of plate 38, as defined by the cross-cut 44,will result finally in the separation of the bearing from its respectivegroove and permit movement of members 12, 14 and 16 away from permitaccess to the interior of In the structure herein, plate 38 has been sodevised that the bearings 50 and 52 of two sections 12 and 16 maycooperate therewith. However, it can readily beunderstood that one ofthe sections 12 or 16 maybe eliminated and the structure'constituted'merely by section 14 and one of the sections 12 or 16. Also, a number ofsections 14 may be interposed between the exterior sections 12 and 16,the plate 38, in such case, extending a sufficient distance, or the arm64 being of such dimension that the connection of the bearing with itsparticular groove may easily and quickly be broken.

The frame 14 may be provided with a pairof eyelets '72, or such eyeletsmay be disposed upon another frame'or frames of the assembly, for thereception of an ornamental cord, strap, or the like for carrying thebagwhen in use.

Many changescould be effected in the particular article of manufacturedesigned, and in the specific details thereof, without substantiallydeparting from the invention hereof, which is intended to be defined inthe accompanying claims, the specific description hereinabove being setforth merely to illustrate an operative embodiment for carrying out thespirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. A bag framecomprising, in combination, three frame members arranged side by sideand hinged to each other at their ends, the outside frame members beingresilient, a lift-lock structure for securing the frame members togetherand having three elements, one of said elements comprising a rigidT-shaped latch secured to the middle frame member and having armsextending across each of the other frame members, the other elementscomprising two pivoted handles one of which is secured to an outer framemember adjacent to the middle frame member and the other pivoted handlebeing secured to the other outer frame member adjacent to the middleframe member and each of said handles having a portion adapted to engagea shoulder on an arm of the latch and also having a portion adapted tobear against that arm to flex an outer frame and thereby move saidshoulder-engaging portion out of engagement with said latch when thehandle is lifted to disengage an outer frame member from the middleframe member.

2. A bag frame comprising, in combination, three U-shaped framemembersarranged side by side and hinged to each other at their ends, the outerframe members having spaced walls extending upwardly and outwardly, theinner frame member having spaced walls extending inwardly anddownwardly, and fastening means comprising, in combination, a T-shapedlatch member secured directly to the top portion of the inner framemember and extending upwardly from the central portion thereof andhaving rigid arms extending across the outer frame members, each armhaving a groove therein extending in a direction parallel to the tops ofthe frame members and opening downwardly thereby providing shouldersand'each arm provided with a transverse recess intersecting a groove,and pivoted handles each of which is secured to an outer frame memberand extends above the inner wall adjacent to the middle frame member, aportion of said pivoted handle extending into a recess in an arm of theT-shaped latch member and another portion of a handle extending into agroove and bearing against a shoulder of an arm of the T-shaped latchmember to lock the frame members together as and for the purposesillustrated and described.

CHARLES J. McCABE.

